Over half of S. Korean people support carrying out death penalty: poll

SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- About one out of every two South Korean people is in favor of implementing existing death penalty provision, a poll said Monday, although the country is classified as a de facto abolitionist country in the international community.

South Korea has executed no one since the end of 1997, when 23 people were put to death. The moratorium was enacted in February 1998 by then-President Kim Dae-Jung.

According to the survey of 511 people across the nation conducted by Realmeter on Friday, 52.8 percent were for returning to execution, while 42.8 percent were against it.

Of its opponents, 32.6 percent said it is desirable to retain capital punishment but to not put it into practice, and 9.6 percent thought the death penalty itself should be scrapped, the poll said.

Among those polled who are in favor of resuming executions, people in their 20s were the most supportive at 62.6 percent, trailed by those in their 30s at 59.5 percent, those in their 60s or older at 53.5 percent and those in their 40s at 42.9 percent.

By ideology, 66.2 percent of conservative respondents supported implementing the death penalty, and 54.2 percent of centrist ones did so. On the other hand, only 39.4 percent of progressive respondents were in favor.

By region, Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province showed the highest support with 66.8 percent, while Gwangju and Jeolla Provinces posted the lowest support with 46.3 percent, the poll said.(END)